Storm
by Beautiful Allusion
Summary: An independent one-shot on the events of a night the team imposes on Gibbs after he is placed after threat. Looks at the team like a family. No warnings.


**Disclaimer:** I do not own NCIS or any recognizable characters. They are the property of the original creators and I make no profit from this story.

**A/N:** This is an independent one-shot about the team when they impose on Gibbs one night while he is under threat. It's a family thing. Also please note that they do get a little OOC but it was hard not to lol. Please enjoy and review. Ange.

**Storm**

"Abby. Abby no, stop it," Gibbs heard through the door as he put his SIG back where it belonged and threw the door open, stopping the incessant knocking and causing his forensic scientist and only female agent to stare at him guiltily as they let go of each others wrists and turned to face him with slightly sheepish expressions, "ah, hello."

"Hi Gibbs," Abby smiled cheerfully as she pushed a little past Ziva and gave him a hug, black hair pulled back into two braids and dark make-up prominent on her pale face as she covered her spiked dog collar necklace with one hand so as not to stab him, "can we come in?"

"That would depend on why you're here Abbs," Gibbs said pointedly as Abby passed him and moved to place her medium length coat on the stand before moving through to the living room, leaving him only with Ziva to interrogate, "should I even bother asking why you're here?"

"We brought dinner," she said in a way that indicated she was slightly nervous never having been in his house before, lifting up a brown paper bag that looked as if it held Chinese food, "so, can I come in?"

Gibbs moved away from the doorway to allow Ziva entrance and then pushed the door closed as he moved towards the living room, indicating the coat rack that Abby had used, "Kitchen's this way."

Ziva nodded and hung up her coat then turned to follow, inspecting the place as they made their way to the kitchen and then the dining room, Abby already seated at the table with her laptop open and some fantasy RPG killing game playing on loudspeakers.

"Thanks for having us Gibbs, its really gonna start coming down out there soon, wouldn't want to be driving in this weather," Abby's eyes never left the screen as she spoke and Gibbs moved behind her to inspect what she was doing, moving away when he lost interest, "hope we're not a bother."

"You know there's always room for you Abbs," Gibbs smiled as he talked and Ziva moved into the position over Abby's shoulder, listening to the Chinese food being laid out on the table, "did you get enough? You could feed a battalion with all this. Abby could you grab some plates."

"Yeah just wait a second I'm almost…" Abby stopped talking as she caught the look on Gibbs face and shut down the game, dragging Ziva by the wrist with her into the kitchen, "You get plates and I'll get glasses."

"There are drinks in the fridge," Gibbs announced as the girls passed through the doorway and finally out of his earshot.

"Plates are in the first cupboard up the top to the right," Abby instructed as she opened one of the bottom cupboards and pulled out three glasses, then moved to the fridge to get the drinks, "just grab three for now."

"You seem to know your way around," Ziva observed as Abby made her way to the door and waited a little impatiently for her, "do you think he'll be mad when the others show up?"

"Probably, but that's the good bit about being first," Abby grinned as Ziva pushed the swing door open for her and they made their way through, placing the dishes and drinks on the table before them, "I can't believe you had a Caf-pow! In your fridge for yourself Gibbs, did you know we were coming?"

"I had an inkling," Gibbs motioned to Abby's laptop and watched her move it before she took a seat on the right, next to the head of the table and pulled the seat out next to her for Ziva, "looks like its starting to come down out there."

"Yeah, it's supposed to get really bad," Abby helped herself to the chopsticks and then a container of Chinese food, spilling it out onto her plate, "isn't the term 'I had an inkling' even a little old for you Gibbs?"

"Very funny Abbs," Gibbs sat at the head of the table of course, and Ziva took the seat Abby had offered, as they began to eat the clattering on the window became a lot harder than what would be expected with rain and Gibbs looked over and cracked the curtain to see what was going on, "its hail, DiNozzo and McGee are going to have a hell of a time walking to the door through that."

"Tony and Tim are here?" Abby sounded a little overly excited and Ziva shut her eyes in anticipation that she had given away their well planned façade, "are you going to let them in Gibbs or should I?"

"Let them wait awhile," Gibbs smiled as a loud and hurried knock sounded at the door, "it can be their punishment for their role in this little get together you four arranged."

"Gibbs!" Abby was pouting and Ziva had the urge to kick her under the table, unaccustomed to whining and not liking where this was going if Tony and McGee were being punished, "how did you know? Better yet, when did you know?"

"Oh I don't know, around about yesterday when I walked into your lab and the four of you turned and smiled at me," Gibbs continued to eat like Ziva as she avoided eye contact with him, "either that or it was ten minutes beforehand when I was cleared of protection detail following me around."

"That's not fair Gibbs," Abby was still pouting as the knocking stopped from the door and everything went suspiciously quiet excepting the hail on the windows and roof, "you used your Jedi mind tricks."

"Uh, I think you should let Tony and McGee in now," Ziva piped up as the quiet continued and she placed her chopsticks beside her plate neatly, "otherwise you might have two NCIS special agents breaking your door down with their weapons drawn like two cowboys with spooked donkeys."

"The term is spooked horses Ziva," Gibbs said as he walked to the door with his hands held out in front of him in anticipation, "DiNozzo! McGee! It's just me, I'm gonna open the door."

Abby smiled and jumped up from the table as Gibbs followed through with the action and revealed Tony and McGee strapping their SIGS back onto their belts on the doorstep, Tim smiling a little nervously and Tony flashing his brightest smile.

"Hey Boss," Tony opened his arms wide as if he expected a hug or a great salutation, and as expected by everyone else, Gibbs just stepped aside and turned back to the dining room, leaving the door open for his agents to come in as Abby flung herself into Tony's embrace, "you don't have to be so cold, Boss."

"He's just a little mad cause he knew we all planned this," Abby smiled as Tony hugged her back and then moved on to McGee, grabbing each of their hands and pulling them through to the dining room when she was done, "McGee, you sit across from me and Tony and I'll get more plates and stuff."

"Are you sure," McGee stuttered in his nervousness of being placed next to Gibbs at the table, earning a bit of an exasperated glance from the man himself as he stood awkwardly behind the chair.

"It's a seat McGee, not a bomb, it won't explode if you sit on it," Gibbs pushed it out with his foot and motioned with his chopsticks for McGee to park it. Taking that as acceptance, McGee sat hesitantly and received the container that was pushed into his chest.

"I don't think it's the chair that Probie was worried about," Tony said in a mocking tone as he patted his hands firmly on each of McGee's shoulders, making him tense before he stepped through the swinging door to the kitchen with Abby, "Don't worry McJumpy, no one in here's gonna bite you…except possibly Ziva of course."

"Very smart of you, Tony!" Ziva yelled after him, Gibbs smiling a little down at his plate in anticipation, "just don't forget what is in direct position of my foot under this table. You are sitting across from me, yes."

McGee could only imagine the look on Tony's face before he composed himself and walked out of the kitchen with four plates, placing one in front of him and then the others at the table in front of the empty seats.

"Expecting more people DiNozzo?" Gibbs enquired as he continued to eat off his plate and manage to be seemingly staring at each of them at the same time, "'cause I sure as hell ain't."

"Just Ducky and Palmer, Boss," Tony finished and took his seat, thanking Abby as she gave each of the boys a glass and set out the others, "the usual. The autopsy Gremlin is bringing a movie I told him to get."

"You can't really blame us Gibbs," Abby said innocently in reply to his look as she sipped at her Caf-pow! and pushed her plate forward, finished with her meal for the evening, "we were worried about you. I mean, that crazy, killing lunatic is looking for you, aren't you even the slightest bit concerned. I know you would be if it was one of us."

"No one is going to come get me Abbs, and he sure as hell isn't going to be alive long enough to go after you," Gibbs curled her into his shoulder from their close position at the table and kissed her head before releasing her again and standing up to get the door and heading out through the hallway, "and I don't need protection!"

"Maybe this was a bad idea," McGee whispered as Gibbs cleared the room and could be heard listening to the beginning of one of Ducky's long winded tales, "he doesn't really seem to want us around."

"I have to agree," Ziva said quickly, stomping on Tony's foot under the table as he made a face while miming her speaking, "you heard what he said about not wanting protection, no matter how much we think he needs it."

"You're all being stupid," Abby glared even when her tone indicated a kind of whine, "of course Gibbs wants us here, he wouldn't have let us all in if he didn't. Besides, this should be fun once everyone begins to relax."

Seemingly out of nowhere Tony slapped the back of McGee's head and almost caused him to spill Chinese food all over his shirt and tie, eliciting an angry response from McGee, "Tony! What the hell was that for?!"

"Well Probie, she called me stupid and I really couldn't hit her could I," Tony stopped pointing at Abby and put on a smile as Palmer walked into the room with a slightly queasy look on his face and shuffled the seat out next to him, "if it isn't the autopsy gremlin! Come have a seat Palmer."

Doing as he was told, Jimmy took the seat next to Tony and let the senior agent spoon food onto his plate, digging in after all the greetings were made.

"Take a seat Duck," Gibbs said loudly as he entered the room with the Medical Examiner and took his spot, leaving Ducky next to Ziva who smiled politely at him and pushed the chair back in invitation.

"It was exceedingly nice of you to have us all over Jethro," Ducky began as he put food on his own plate and greeted the others, "I was awfully surprised when Abigail told me of the invitation. Most unlike you."

"That would be because it wasn't me Duck," Gibbs finished with his own food and took Abby's plate to stack on top of his, Ziva handing hers to him as well, "the four that didn't arrive with you are to answer for that."

"Ah yes, I thought that might be the case," Ducky ate for a little while as did the others before he started again, "but it was still very nice of you to let us all in. if it was a few years ago I would suspect that we would all be standing on the front porch right about now."

"Probably," Gibbs replied as everyone finished up and he gathered all the plates together, "Abby you and Tony can get the containers."

"Can't Ziva take the cartons and I'll load the dishwasher with McGeek," Tony smiled up at his Boss who just nodded and walked through the swing door to the kitchen again, nodding as Ducky said he'd make his way to the living room and Palmer helped the girls with the rubbish, "well come on McGee, help me grab the glasses."

"Coming Tony," McGee sighed a little as he grabbed the last of the dishes and went to the kitchen to load the dishwasher, Ziva shaking her head in slight disbelief that everyone knew their role around here, "Ziva, Abby's calling for you."

"Oh, yes," she hurried out a sliding glass door to her left after Palmer and quickly disposed of the cartons in the bin before the three of them ran back inside, afraid of being drenched to the bone because of the enormous downpour of oversized hail, "its freezing out there."

"DiNozzo is setting up a movie in the living room," Gibbs said as he walked through to grab the drinks Abby had carried out earlier, then proceeded through the door to the hallway on his way to the room himself, "you can move it or miss it, I don't really care."

"Coming," Abby yelled, grabbing Ziva and Palmer's wrists and dragging them through to the lounge, before pushing them back onto the couch and tapping Ziva's knees, so she would cross her legs and make room for her to lean against the cushions from a seat on the floor, "McGee, come sit!"

"Coming Abby," McGee said as he helped DiNozzo plug the DVD player into the television and then moved to sit on the floor with Abby, letting her lean on him as he leant back onto the couch cushions when Palmer moved across, Ducky watching them all from an armchair in the corner, "are you sure you want to sit on the floor?"

"It is a little uncomfortable," Abby admitted as she stood and surveyed the room, moving into a dark corner and pulling an armchair from the depths to position next to the couch, "hope you're all ready for musical chairs."

Everyone stood as Abby indicated and waited in the centre of the room as she looked around. Gibbs walked through again with a bowl of popcorn and shot an annoyed expression at the Goth as she did some quick sign language and sent him back to the kitchen for more butter with an innocent little 'please'.

"Okay, Tony can you pull that sofa around a little?" Abby watched as DiNozzo nodded and moved the two seater sofa to where she had wanted before she smiled and began pulling on people's hands to seat them, "thank you."

When Gibbs walked back into the room he smiled at the arrangement and set the popcorn down on the table, looking at Ziva and Palmer who were each seated in an armchair side by side where Ducky had previously been, then to Abby and McGee who were next to each other on the couch with DiNozzo occupying the third seat chatting to Abby who was in the middle of the two, and then to Ducky who was on the very end of the two seater waiting for Gibbs to join them before the movie started.

"Nice job Abbs," she beamed at him as he sat down and DiNozzo used the distraction to snatch the remote from McGee before grinning at his boss himself, flinching at the head slap he received before Gibbs picked up the remote and tossed it back to Tim, "let's get this over with."

"Aw, come on Boss," Tony rubbed at the back of his head and glared at McGee from the corner of his eye, "have a little faith, I chose _Shane_ 'cause I know how much you like it. Besides, McGeek shouldn't be the only one to ever have control of the remote."

"He doesn't have control of the remote DiNozzo," Gibbs said in that tone he always got when he had almost had enough but not quite, "I do. Let's just get this over with before you all convince me to serve you up ice cream or something for dessert."

"Didn't take you for the ice-cream type Boss," DiNozzo smirked, Ziva tossing a scrunched up napkin at him that she apparently conjured from nowhere and Abby slapping him in the back of the head, "yeah, starting now."

Throughout the movie everyone remained mostly silent, and by the end all Gibbs could hear as the silent credits rolled was the snores from Ducky, Ziva and DiNozzo as almost the entire room slept.

"Do you want me to stop the movie Boss?" McGee asked from his position on the couch, Abby cuddled up to his side and Tony's legs and feet draped all over the two of them as he slept with his head on the armrest of the couch, "should I wake the others?"

"Just leave it run a minute," Gibbs said as he stood up and moved to the curtain, looking out at the heavy fall of hail and the strong winds that were almost bending the tree in his front yard in half, "I don't think any of you are fit to drive home in this weather."

"Then what are we gonna do Boss?" McGee questioned quietly from the couch, looking at all the sleeping people as Abby snuggled a little closer into his arm and Palmer finally spoke up from his position in his armchair.

"We all came in pairs, I could take Doctor Mallard and Abby and Agent McGee could take Agent David and Agent DiNozzo," Palmer quietened down as Gibbs shook his head and then looked over to McGee, "it was just a thought."

"You'll all have to stay here," Gibbs said as he let the curtain drop down and moved to the second armchair to wake up Ziva by calling her name loudly and snapping his fingers in front of her face, surprised when she didn't immediately reach out in some defensive manner, "Ziva, you awake?"

Ziva nodded and Gibbs moved to the couch, tapping DiNozzo on the forehead in a similar manner to when he was in hospital with the plague and causing him to jerk upright and wake Abby. When he had everyone's attention Gibbs began talking.

"You're all going to have to stay here tonight, weathers too bad for anyone to make it home in one piece," Abby gave a tired smile and Tony nodded whilst wiping a tired hand over his eyes, the others seemed to nervous to do anything, "Abby you know where the spare rooms are, take the others up there. I want you and Ziva in one room and Palmer and Ducky can have the other, Tony and McGee will have to take the couch down here. Let the boys use the bathroom before you settle in."

"Yes Gibbs," Abby gave him a tired wave and headed upstairs with the others, Tony laughing quietly as he almost tripped McGee in order to get onto the staircase first behind the girls, "Tony! Hurry up, I wanna clean my teeth."

Palmer was the last going up the stairs and just as he disappeared on the landing Gibbs woke up Ducky, "come on Duck, you're staying here tonight."

"Oh, I don't want to impose Jethro," the doctor smiled as Gibbs took his arm and steered him towards the staircase, noticing the shuffling ahead, "but I suppose if everyone else is…"

"Night Duck, you're in the new guest room, looks like it was a good thing I renovated recently," Gibbs laughed along with Ducky as he disappeared on the stairs and then walked through to turn off the TV and then fold out the three seater couch, grabbing some pillows from the cupboard as well as a spare blanket and tossing them down for DiNozzo and McGee.

"Tony!" he heard one of the girls shout from above as he increased his speed on the staircase to the original guest room he had, looking in to find McGee shaking his head tiredly as Ziva stood in the bathroom doorway and Abby's reflection glared at Tony's from the mirror, "that's the only pink toothbrush and you took it!"

"Chill Abbs, it was the first one I saw," Tony held up his hands as if Ziva was holding a gun to him and left the toothbrush in his mouth, grabbing it out and holding it towards Abby when she continued to glare, "look you can have it if you want."

"That's disgusting, Tony," Ziva piped up from the bathroom door as Tony grinned and spat in the sink, rinsing his mouth before leaving the room and standing next to McGee when Gibbs walked in.

"Abbs, there's another pack of spare toothbrushes, including a pink one, in my bathroom," He walked in and slapped DiNozzo in the back of the head on his way through, watching as Abby petulantly crossed her arms over her chest and pouted, "go. Get. It."

"That was a little harsh Boss," Tony whined as he rubbed the back of his head and poked his tongue out at Ziva when she chuckled, "well it _was_ just a toothbrush."

"Are you two quite done?" Gibbs asked Tony and Ziva as he motioned for McGee and Tony to leave the room with his head, "honestly it's like having a house full of teenage children."

"In that case night Daddy," Abby smirked as she hugged Gibbs and entered the room again, waving the pink toothbrush in Tony's face as she went and hi-fiving Ziva as she locked herself in the bathroom, "night guys."

"Yes, night," Ziva said as she tied her hair back and slid her guns down onto the floor next to the bed as she hopped into one side, "see you in the morning."

Tony played a few more childish pranks on McGee as they made their way into the living room, gaining another slap as they reached the bottom and turned to see the couch.

"You better not have cold feet Probie," Tony said as realization dawned and he stripped his jeans off, leaving on only his boxers and shirt after tossing his jacket on the chair, McGee doing the same, "and you better not snore."

"Grow up, Tony," McGee hissed as he grabbed a blanket and hoped onto the pull out bed, Tony doing the same with the other blanket and then grinning up at Gibbs.

"Night Boss," Gibbs heard as he turned off the light, echoed by McGee saying the same thing as he made his way up to his own room, looking in on the girls to see Abby just climbing into the bed and saying goodnight to Ziva before they shut their light off.

"Night Sir," Palmer called as he passed the second spare room to find the young assistant curled up on the couch and Ducky's snores echoing throughout the room.

"Night Jimmy," he made his way to his room and looked at the angry red numbers on the clock, glowing a sharp two am. Normally, he assumed, the team wouldn't be so tired at this time in the morning, but after working for the past so many hours without rest and the new added threat of the 'crazy, killing lunatic', it looked as if they could all use a decent rest.

-------------------------------------------

Tony heard laughter as he woke up the next morning, the girly giggling reminding him of where he was and what he was doing there since the night before. As he cracked an eye open he jumped back a little. He had been almost nose to nose with McGee who was curled up beside him with his own blanket.

"Good Morning Tony," Abby and Ziva laughed again from behind him as Abby flicked through pictures on her pink digital camera, causing Ziva to laugh hysterically again and wake McGee, "and good morning to you to McGee."

"What's so funny?" McGee asked as he scrubbed a hand over his face and kicked his feet off the bed, slipping his pants on and then his jacket as he stood up with Tony following suit.

"Just these pictures we took of you two," Abby showed Ziva another one and the Mossad officer almost choked, "may I say that you two are the most adorable brothers us girls could ever have."

"Brothers?" McGee and Tony said at once as they girls turned off the camera and walked with them through to the kitchen where Abby poured glasses of orange juice and offered them around.

"Yeah, just like what Gibbs said last night," she sighed in frustration at the boys blank looks and put the empty glasses in the sink before dragging the guys upstairs by their wrists with Ziva in tow, acting out the part of Gibbs as she positioned everyone in the room, "he walked here and said, 'it's like having a house full of teenage children!' he even said it in that tone."

"Oh," Tony said as he took a seat on the bed and kicked his feet up so he was lying on his stomach with his feet on the pillows, Abby following suit and then pulling McGee into the same position on her other side and indicating Ziva to sit in the chair by the bed, "neat. So what do we do now? I'm not game to touch any of Gibbs food or stuff."

"We could play a game on my laptop or something," Abby suggested, eyes lighting up as she thought of something, "actually, I think I still have a game system here form when I was evicted from my apartment and Gibbs let me stay."

Abby jumped off the bed and dug around in the cabinet before her, grinning triumphantly as she revealed a hidden TV set and an x-box, "so who's up for a game?"

"I'll play, we can verse in teams of two or something," Tony said with a grin as he took a controller and waited for Abby to start it up before turning to Ziva and waggling his eyebrows suggestively, "looks like we're partners, partner."

"Uh huh, just don't screw it up," Ziva smiled as Abby climbed back onto the bed between the boys and loaded the game, "I was wondering why there were so many gothic posters and spiky things around here. I didn't know you lived with Gibbs for a while Abby."

"It was only for a month or something," Abby smiled as the game began and Tony nudged her shoulder to put her off, "just don't touch his coffee and you'll be fine. And don't even think of bringing instant stuff into this house."

"Duly noted," Ziva said as Tony cursed at the game and McGee began yelling for Abby to 'move, move, move', "shouldn't he be up already? It's oh seven thirty."

"He probably thinks we're all still asleep and need the rest, it's an old person thing," Abby ducked and lunged on screen and Tony laughed as he shot down a monster or some other unidentifiable animated thing, "he'll be up shortly."

---------------------------------------------------

Gibbs didn't even bother to look in on any of his guests as he made his way down to the kitchen to start breakfast, turning on the coffee maker and then grabbing some bacon and eggs from the fridge to get started.

"Morning Jethro," he heard Ducky call as the doctor wandered into the kitchen and took a seat at the counter on a stool that was sitting around, "everyone else still asleep?"

"Sure thing, Duck. Where's Palmer?" Gibbs began the fry up and watched the bacon sizzle as Ducky stood and walked to the cupboard he had been pointed to, to grab the bread for toast, "he asleep or in the shower?"

"Shower I believe, but I think he was going to check on Abigail and the others first," Ducky popped four slices of bread in the toaster and then walked to the pantry to get out the condiments, some knives and plates, "how was your night?"

"Surprisingly peaceful once the horde of cranky, tired teenagers fell asleep," Gibbs smiled at the bacon as he slid it onto a plate and put it on the table before starting the eggs, "yours?"

"Yes, it was surprisingly sound," Ducky seemed to smile as well as he set out the toast and started some more, looking towards the hall as a ring sounded from the doorbell, "I didn't know you had a doorbell Jethro."

"Well I do, and whoever that is, is the first person to use it since the escapades of last night," Gibbs smiled as he walked through the kitchen to answer it, laughing at Ducky's reply.

"Don't be too hard on them Jethro. They were just concerned for _you_ after all."

Gibbs's face still held its smile as he answered the door, surprised to find Jenny standing there in a more or less casual get up waiting for him to answer whatever it was she had said as he stared at her.

"I said are you going to invite me in Jethro?" Jenny smiled as he stepped aside and let her come in with a sweep of his arm, "I just came by to check on you. Jefferson is still on the loose."

"Well I had plenty of protection last night," Gibbs sighed in slight exasperation of everyone's apparent need to check on him, "we're about to start breakfast, would you like to join us?"

"Who's we?" the director asked with an eyebrow raised, smile playing on the side of her lips as she walked forwards and into the living room where Gibbs had pointed, "I don't see anyone. Hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"I know where they'll be," Gibbs said seriously as he led Jenny up the stairs and opened the door to the first guest room that contained many of the things Abby hadn't yet picked up from her time living with him, "you lot comfortable enough?"

"Oh, ah, Hi Director," Abby smiled as she stopped the game and all of the rooms occupants stopped their victorious cheering, "Morning."

"DiNozzo, McGee, go fold the bed away in the living room and then go into the dining room for breakfast," Gibbs ran a hand over his face in exasperation as the three special agents stood and the two men left the room, Abby and Ziva smiling at him as they made it to the door, "you girls go down to breakfast. And Palmer you head down too, Ducky is waiting."

"Sure thing Dad," Abby smirked as she moved past him out the door and smiled at Jenny, Ziva following suit as she gave a sheepish wave and fled with Palmer who was stuttering his way down the staircase, "and Director."

"Dad?" Jenny asked as she raised another perfectly shaped eyebrow and surveyed the group of agents and co-workers moving in a large mob across the bottom floor and towards the kitchen, teasing each other like brothers and sisters, "what was all that about?"

"Don't ask," Gibbs replied as he led Jenny down the stairs and to the dining hall and passed her a plate at the other head of the table, everyone else resuming their places from the night before, "since Ducky and I cooked, you are all doing the cleaning."

Everyone nodded as they ate and talked about the usual load of random stuff, the younger of the eight explaining how they were almost at the last level of the new Doom game for the x-box, and how it would only take them another hour or so to be done with it.

"So Director," Abby began as she finished eating and stacked her plate on top of Ziva's, "does this mean you're our mom?"

"Sorry?" Jenny asked as she set down the glass of water she almost choked on and looked up at a smiling Jethro, "Oh, ah, I don't think so Abby."

"Whatever you say," Abby smirked as she and Tony collected everyone's plates and the others collected other dishes and condiments and such, "you're the stepmother then."

Tony nodded as they all headed into the kitchen, muttering something about evil step moms and dishes duty.

"Ziva," Gibbs called from where he was seated and smiled as he heard the sound of a hard whack to the back of the head and a light curse from Tony, "thank you."

"Well that certainly was interesting Jethro," Ducky began as he drank some of the coffee he had been offered, listening to the laughing and clattering going on in the kitchen as the younger people cleaned up, "they remind me a bit of this family that used to live next door to me when I was younger actually. You see there was four teenagers living with their father, it was a real tragedy when the oldest girl died in an accident. When the father remarried a short time after, there was a new girl though, a step sister I presume, and they were always being visited by their grandfather, he was the guardian of their cousin or something. They were quite nice actually, very loud though if I remember, there was one occasion when…"

Ducky was cut off as the five of them burst through the kitchen door and smiled at the three older co-workers, "we're going to go finish that game quickly," Abby spoke up for the group, allowing Tony to go next, "the dishwasher is loaded and on Boss, we'll be out of your hair in no time."

"Just don't forget to unplug that idiot box and its attachment thingies when you finish," Gibbs called after them, listening to them all run up the stairs and pound on the precious carpeted wood flooring, "and don't run in the hallway!"

"My God Jethro," Jenny smiled as she sipped at her coffee and shared a look with Ducky, "you really are their father."


End file.
